Striking motions, such as punching and kicking, are basic elements to any form of martial arts, self-defense, or boxing. As with any athletics or sports motion, an effective strike requires the actor to develop strength, quickness, and technique in his strikes. A variety of devices and tools have been developed to assist in the training of these striking motions.
A punching bag is a common strike training tool in boxing. The punching bag is a weighted bag (e.g., up to several hundred pounds) that is suspended from above using a swinging chain. In some implementations, the punching bag is suspended atop a base that retains the punching bag upright when in use.
The punching bag has several shortcomings for effective strike training. Firstly, the punching bag requires time to reset to a default stationary position after it has been struck. Once struck, the punching bag oscillates from its point of suspension or from its base depending on the force of the strike. This movement makes it difficult to quickly perform repetitions using the same form or technique. As a result, form and technique vary with each subsequent strike. Secondly, the weight of the punching bag cannot be easily adjusted since it is filled with sand, water, or other substance in its core. The weight of the punching bag therefore remains constant and progressive overload training cannot be accomplished. Thirdly, the fixed weight of the punching bag does not provide effective strike training for actors of different strengths. For instance, performing strikes on a punching bag that is too heavy can result in injury to the actor. When the punching bag is too heavy, the force of the strike is halted at the point of impact resulting in excess stress on the bones and joints of the actor. The actor is also unable to complete the full range of the strike motion thereby minimizing the effectiveness of the training. Conversely, performing strikes on a punching bag that is too light yields little to no strength or quickness training.
Strike training tools also include a pad that is held by a first actor so that a second actor may perform strikes to the pad. Since the pad is supported by a user and not a movable weight stack, the resistance encountered when performing the strikes is neither constant nor progressive. Furthermore, the actor performing the strikes is unable to perform the full range of motion of the strike since the pad is held in a mostly stationary position. Consequently, the actor performing the strikes is unable to perform a full strike motion with constant or progressive resistance throughout the strike. As a result, these tools also do not provide effective strength or quickness training.
Resistance cables have also been used in strike training. For example, the actor grabs a handle that is attached via a cable and a set of pulleys to a weight stack. When the actor performs a punching motion while grabbing the handle, the cable becomes taught and the weight stack provides resistance against the punching motion of the actor. However, instead of pushing with the fist as would occur in a natural punching motion, the actor is pulling on the cable while grabbing a handle. The pulling results in an unnatural application of force. Specifically, the counter force or resistance provided by the weight stack is distributed by pulleys connecting the cable to a weight stack that is often located behind the actor's body, usually above the actor's head or behind the actor's feet. By placing the resistance behind the body position of the user, the machine improperly develops the muscles and technique. This increases the risk of injury to the actor.
Moreover, a natural punching motion encounters resistance at the point of impact which is in front of the fist. The natural resistance remains in front of the fist throughout the entire punching motion requiring the actor to produce a push force rather than a pull force. Accordingly, these machines also do not accurately replicate the striking motion since the actor does not perform the punching strike with a proper closed fist. There is no impact placed on the knuckles. The resistance force is instead placed on the palm of the hand grabbing the handle. As noted above, these variations increase the risk of injury to the user.
Typical weight training machines also do not provide effective strike training. These machines are primarily used to isolate and train specific muscles groups using confined movements. The movements performed on these machines do not replicate the full range of a striking motion. The machines can therefore cause the muscles to develop improperly for a striking motion, thereby increasing the risk of injury to the actor performing the striking motions. Furthermore, multiple machines would have to be used to target and train each of the several muscles that are used simultaneously in one striking motion.
Accordingly, there is a need for a weight training machine that replicates the full range of the most common striking motions used in martial arts, self-defense, and boxing. There is a need for such a machine to provide bidirectional resistance throughout the full range of the striking motion (i.e., extension and contraction) in order to develop strength, quickness, and technique for the strike. The machine should provide an easily adjustable amount of resistance in order to offer overload training.